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In our blog you’ll find interesting industry insights, articles, updates on trends and developments, news and our hot house thinking where we share our views on trends and tips to improve your business.

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Thursday, 31 July 2014

Top 5 Food and Beverage Trends for 2014

Article by John King – Project Manager EGCOA

If there’s one thing you can count on when selecting food
and beverage menus for the coming season, it’s that tastes and trends are
continually evolving. Staying up to date with these trends and integrating them
in to your food and beverage strategy will deliver a fresh, modern approach to
your clubs dining experience and keep your customers coming back for more.

With this in mind we did some research across the continent
and also sat down with Glen Watson – Chef Director at The Belfry to find out
what the top trends in food and beverage are right now. Here’s what we dug up:

1. Sustainable Selections, Globalisation to localisation

Selecting food products that are both environmentally and
socially responsible is becoming a higher priority for many groups. Restaurants
are getting back to basics, sourcing much of their food locally in an effort to
support the local community and the demands of their diners. Whilst diners may
not directly demand locally produced food they do respect the effort that has
been made to source locally.

Many golf courses are now stocking locally crafted wines,
beers and condiments and are sourcing their interior décor from local artists.
In-house and homemade, no-nonsense food continues to resonate with customers
and remains one of the top food trends for 2014.

Taking localisation to another level, The Belfry have been
growing their own herbs on site for a number of years and sourcing locally
whenever possible. Further to this, they even produce their own honey as a
result of thriving ‘Belfry Beehives’

‘We locally source ingredients wherever possible, 19 gales
butcher provides all our meat for the Ryder Grill – the farm is literally 10
minutes from the Belfry said Glen. He added, ‘As the food changes in the resort
seasonality and availability is adhered to, next will be English asparagus from
Oxfordshire!’

He added, ‘Sustainable fish is high on our agenda and when
buying and sourcing fish for our menus careful consideration is given to
sustainability. With the exception of tiger prawns and tuna we do not put fish
on our menus that do not come from British waters’

2. Your health is your wealth – green is now mainstream

Healthy eating is at the top of the agenda for consumers
now, more than ever before. Golf courses need to develop marketing strategies
that display their healthy efforts. Healthy eating is by no means a new trend
but it is one that diners are more and more conscious of, particularly female
diners. Smaller portion sizes, low carb options & superfoods are now
commonly found on menus.

Food is all about trust and modern diners seek transparency.
We see a growing trend in not only nutritional information being presented on
menus but also the source location of the produce. Dietary sensitive menus are
also on the rise & with increased availability of food for gluten free and
organic diners it is now easier and more cost effective to offer these options.

Healthy eating is high on people’s agenda now, however it is
not always shown in the demand from our customers.’ Said Glen, he added ‘The
development of our menus in the resort will offer them the choice to eat this
way, or to opt for a higher carb/energy dish instead. We have an Asian chicken
salad on our menu that provides a healthy option for customers, and is
definitely popular, but alternatively if they want pasta depending on their
training regime, then we cater for this as well as the ever popular burger!

We are also seeing an ever increasing number of guests with
dietary requirements. It is imperative that catering operations are able to not
only meet these, but provide a range of options suitable for the individual.’

3. Rethinking Drinking

From infused spirits to artisan gins, your customers are now
more than ever highly educated and particular to the taste and quality of the
alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages they consume.

Infusing drinks with natural elements also is a growing
trend, diners will see more herbs, organic teas, fresh fruit, and other natural
ingredients in their beverages. To mix these trendy concoctions a new breed of
bartender has emerged, ‘Bar Chefs’, will work with the culinary team and use fresh
ingredients such as lemongrass, cilantro sprigs and cane syrup to create drinks
with a natural, perfectly balanced taste.

‘In a bid to involve guests in their dining experience, here
at The Belfry we delight guests with our cocktail master classes – an opportunity
to not only learn how to extravagantly produce their own cocktails, but also to
better understand the taste experience and how the different elements of drinks
work to complement each other’, said Glen.

Caffeine, of course, also continues to play an important
role at golf club, but now there are now even more ways to provide it. Look for
variety of ways to deliver caffeine by providing a variety of espressos and
teas. Get creative with the presentation of your coffee and tea. With the boom
in coffee culture there are countless suppliers to source trendy glass and
ceramic tea and coffee glassware.

4. Interactive Presentation

Thanks to the phenomena of Master Chef and the boom in
trendy cooking shows, we have become asociety who love watch food being prepared. Not only has this phenomena
created a generation of ‘’foodies’’ is has also turned diners into modern,
savvy consumers who are not only aware of the how their food is prepared but
also the quality and variety of ingredients being used.

Not every restaurant can cater for live preparation of food
due to kitchen design restrictions, however it can be integrated into your
operation using action stations to create a relaxed atmosphere that encourages
socializing. Action stations can also be more economical than plated meals,
because guests only ask for what they want.

5. Belt Tightening Budgets

It’s no surprise that current economic conditions are
requiring belt-tightening when it comes to food and beverage, but there are
many creative ways to deal with these slimmed down budgets without sacrificing
quality.

Firstly it’s important to take the time to review design of
your menu in terms of the money makers and budget breakers. It is key to
frequently analyse the dishes and menu items that are the best sellers and make
simple steps to make these more prominent on the menu itself.

Studies have shown that diners hold menu attention for 90
seconds. That doesn’t give you a lot of time to highlight the items from which
you stand to gain the most profit. If your menu descriptions read like a book,
they aren’t going to captivate the diner who’s used to social media.

Keeping on the healthy note, creative vegetarian menu items
made with seasonal vegetables and produce can be a big hit with diners and huge
cost savers for your restaurant.

Whether you manage your restaurant yourself or you sub lease
the operation, these are 5 simple steps that will breathe life into and create
a buzz around your food and beverage operation this season.